Tegami
by Kaotic I. Deas
Summary: The Kenshin-gumi have returned back to their normal routines after the Enishi fiasco. That is… as normal as things can get. However, a seasonal cleaning of the storage house and a letter will lead Kaoru on a path of self-discovery and growth as she carries on her training as assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū.
1. Prologue: Forgotten Memories

_Authors Notes:_ *clears throat and stands up in group therapy session* My name is Kaotic I. Deas and I have an addiction to fanfiction – Rurouni Keshin to be exact. I constantly check my favorite stories list for updates, search for new stories to read, and when all else fails I reread old stories. My attempts at weaning myself off of fanfiction have proven faulty and I repeat this never-ending vicious cycle continuously.

However, as of late, the amount of published stories for my two favorite characters has been dwindling over the years, thus aiding in the withdrawal from my unhealthy relationship with fictitious characters. Despite this, my craving for KK action carries on. So… in order to fix the depressing lack of updates/stories on fanfiction I've decided to take maters into my own hands and write a story!

This being said I would like to warn my readers I am in no way, shape, or form comfortable with the English language – despite it being my native (and only) language. Please excuse any grammatical errors. Furthermore, if anyone would like to beta, please let me know!

FYI: I am not here to clog up fanfiction with crappy writing that no one reads – Especially since writing does _not_ come easily to me. This being said I will post one or two more chapters after this. But if I do not average an 8-10 reviews a chapter I'll throw in the towel. I will return to my faithful job of reading stories and leave the writing to our authors who are way more creative and cryptic than I can ever hope to be. Okayyy! I'm done explaining – enjoy!

**Prologue: Forgotten Memories **

The Sunday morning was cool and crisp. A light blanket of dew covered the ground, while the layers of wispy clouds that draped the sky began to glow red by the rays of the rising sun.

Kaoru took in the beauty of the morning while laying in the comfort of her bed, wrapped in a blanket of warmth and relaxation. She did this while attempting to feign off her growing interest in the delicious smells wafting into her bedroom from the direction of the kitchen. As far as she was concerned, it was too early to be doing anything other than lounging in bed on a peaceful summer Sunday. However, her body vetoed this opinion by bringing her empty, grumbling stomach to her attention.

Reluctantly rising from her roost, Kaoru went through the motions of her daily routine. Bedding tucked away and made, futon folded, practice clothes put on, and hair pulled up into its normal high ponytail with bangs and loose hairs falling to frame her face. Despite Sundays being her "off" day, Kaoru had much to accomplish. The gardens required weeding, she had promised to teach Yahiko a new kendo move, and the ever-daunting task of reorganizing the storage house was looming over her head… Yes. Relaxing day off indeed.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, Kaoru was pleasantly surprised to see the lack of her dedicated pupil's presence. Excellent. At the very least she could enjoy her breakfast in peace without the harassment of being called ugly, fat, or any other _creative_ nickname Yahiko could conjure up.

"Good morning Kaoru-dono! Sessha hopes you had a restful night."

"Good morning Kenshin! And I slept find thank you", Kaoru responded ceremonially. It was the same humdrum as every other morning. Kenshin would greet her with that silly rurouni smile, asking how she had slept, and she would reply with the same answer ritually. She was beginning to come to the realization their relationship had plateaued out at a close friendship and was not going to progress any further no matter how much she wished it… especially after the Enishi incident. Shaking her head to clear her discouraging thoughts she added, "Yahiko appears to be sleeping in this morning. Maybe we can enjoy our meal in peace, ne Kenshin?"

Chuckling, Kenshin placed the breakfast plates on the table and returned to the kitchen to retrieve their morning tea. "Hai Kaoru-dono, meals are much quieter with the absence of Sano and Yahiko's presence."

Nodding in agreement Kaoru thoughtfully asked, "Speaking of Sano, have you seen him recently? It's been nearly a week since his last visit to mooch a meal. I'm not sure whether I should be worried about him or to count my lucky stars and consider this a small blessing. I know our food pantry appreciates his absence."

"Maahhh, Sessha is confident that Sano can take care of himself, that he can. Though I will stop at the clinic on my way to the market to see if Megumi-san has heard from him if you would like…"

"Nie! That is fine Kenshin! But thank you. Just as you said, he is probably fine and completely capable of taking care of himself! He is a grown man after all..." Kaoru smiled innocently as she attempted to recover from her quick reaction to Kenshin's response. The last thing she wanted was for _her_ Kenshin to go see the vixen by himself. Knowing Megumi, the fox would find some excuse to give the red-head a full examination, or request he visit her office weekly to undergo _new _therapy practices that had come to surface in the medicinal world.

"Kaoru-dono…"

She would not put Kenshin into such a position. The last thing Kenshin wanted was to be trapped by the Fox.

"Kaoru-dono…"

Realistically, he would be too dense to realize he was being cornered before it'd be too late. Kami had blessed her wanderer with god-like reflexes, but skimped out on providing him with common sense and self-preservation instincts in social environments.

"Kaoru-dono…"

"Huh? Sorry Kenshin, were you saying something?"

"Sessha was informing you of one's plans to go to the market. Sessha asked if you required anything from the vendors in town. But you appeared to not be listening… Are you feeling ill Karou-dono?" Kenshin asked wearily, while taking a step closer to inspect Kaoru.

"Sorry Kenshin! I was just thinking about today's plans. I'm feeling fine! I did not mean to drift off of you…" Kaoru winced at the lameness of her excuse.

"Are you sure Kaoru-dono? Sessha can stop at the clinic to bring you home some medicine if you…"

Choking on her food Kaoru released a hoarse sounding, "NO!"

Clearing her throat and wiping her face with a napkin Kaoru responded more evenly, "I am fine Kenshin. I promise. Thank you for the offer but I do not need anything from the market or the clinic for that matter," she finished firmly while adding a confident smile to pinch off any growing concerns Kenshin might have had developing.

"Hai Kaoru-dono, if you are sure…", Kenshin replied hesitantly, "Sessha will return this afternoon. However, if you are feeling ill Kaoru-dono, you should rest. Sessha does not want you getting sick."

* * *

The creak of the old storage room's door opening could be heard across the quiet dojo followed by an eruption of dust and moths. Kaoru sneezed as she assessed the near impossible task at hand. Perhaps putting off her _spring-cleaning_ for this part of the property over the past year and a half had not been the wisest of choices... Covering her mouth with a cloth covered hand, Kaoru made her way into the dusty unit while waving her free hand in a miserable attempt to clean the air of the floating dust particles and lingering smells of mildew and grime.

Walking to the other end, Kaoru began to gauge her workload. If anyone were to asked her, she would swear on her life she threw away half of the storage room's contents after every cleaning. Yet, every time she opened the gloomy door into the storage unit she found more belongings than she remembered ever owning. It was as if junk sprouted from the floor during her absence in the room.

Sighing, Kaoru knelt down and began her assessment of each item's worth and whether she would leave it to its faithful job of collecting dust, or deem she was ready to part with whatever it might be and throw it away. Better yet, maybe she would find another painting from her Uncle that she could sell for a small fortune and be able to take the gang out for dinner! With the potential _free_ dinner in the back of her mind, Kaoru began to shuffle through her belongings with an optimistic outlook.

* * *

It was nearly noon and Kaoru had only sorted through half of the material. The majority of if had been thrown in a pile for Yahiko to get ride of. Standing from her current storage box, Kaoru stretched her back and sore limbs. Rubbing her temples to relieve the growing pressure Kaoru began to walk out of the storage room for a break when an objected caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Shocked, Kaoru stopped and turned sharply on her heels to face the item. With wide eyes and an open mouth, Kaoru picked up the box that contained one of her most precious belongings – her hina dolls.

Forgetting about her lunch break, Kaoru sat down clumsily and opened the box, while traveling through her memories of the past. Despite the passing of time she could clearly remember begging her father to purchase a hina doll set for her before Hinamatsuri Day. Despite being a kendo-wielding female, Kaoru had latched on to the idea of owning a set when they had become popular shortly after Japan had closed off their trading routes with foreign countries. Her father, much to her dismay, had tried to logically talk her out of the desire to own a doll set. Realistically, what would Kaoru, the most tomboyish girl in town, want with a doll? Granted, he didn't say it as bluntly as that but had hedged around the fact. She was too busy beating up the boys who were bullying her for training with the sword, or was hard at work helping her father run the dojo. There was little time for such trivial things as dolls.

However, despite her father's coaxing, Kaoru didn't let it go - couldn't let it go. While she'd never admit this to her father, let alone any other living soul, Kaoru had missed not having a mother to show her the feminine ways. She was clueless on how to run a household, how courtship worked, or the first thing about marriage. As a young girl, Kaoru latched on to the thought of owning a doll not for the materialistic value of it, but because it symbolized she was a girl. Granted, a sweaty, foul-tempered girl, who couldn't cook to save her life; but a female nonetheless.

Upon her eleventh birthday, Kaoru's wish had been granted. Her father had taken time out of his busy day to purchase the most beautiful hina doll set she had ever laid eyes upon. It consisted of the classic Emperor and Empress dolls. Yet - there was so much more to them. During all of her adventures to the market she had never seen such an exquisite set. The Empress sat eloquently next to her husband with her hands folded on her lap. She wore the traditional twelve-layered court costume of the Heian period. The layers of silken embroidered cloth were varying shades of red. What set it apart from the other doll sets she had seen at the market was the intense display of blue silk that clashed with the red on the last layer of the kimono. She was stunning. Next to the Empress sat the Emperor who wore a stern expression. His clothes were more subdued shades of red, yet were composed of finer stitching designs. Together they made a handsome pair and appeared ready to rule their people justly. The set was everything Kaoru had every wanted and because of that she cherished it with all her being.

More suddenly than young Kaoru would have liked, Hinamatsuri Day came, as it did every year on March 3rd. Distraught at the thought of sending her beloved hina doll set down the river - as was tradition, since the dolls possessed the power to trap bad spirits and fortunes – Kaoru had hid them in the storage room. Despite her childish desire to own a hina doll set, she was not naive enough to believe her dolls had the ability to trap evil spirits. In her heightened emotional state Kaoru reasoned that if her dolls could actually keep bad spirits confined, how would keeping the dolls permanently be bad? Their powers, if they had any, would not wear off over time, right? If anything, her dolls would fight harder to keep evil at bay if Kaoru did not betray their trust – Not that her dolls had emotions anyway… but if they did, wouldn't they protect someone who kept them safe and sheltered instead someone who sent them sailing down the waterway?

In an effort to keep her dolls, yet not expose her weakness to her father, Kaoru hid her treasured possessions in the storage room and went to the river by herself. There she watched the other young girls of her town carelessly float their hina dolls down the river along with the evil sprits they "supposedly" harbored inside. Kaoru returned home that day and for the very first time had lied to her father. It wasn't until her next birthday when Kaoru realized her father had known all along she had not sent her hina dolls away. For her birthday present that year he had purchased her a hina musha doll.

Laughing at her younger self, Kaoru could only imagine the look of surprise she must have worn on her face upon receiving her gift. Her father had informed her that any intelligent Emperor and Empress would not stole away in hiding without the proper safeguards in place. Thus Kaoru's _secret_ doll set began to grow. Her musha doll was a young prince seated on a stool. He came with a bow and rack of arrows. The young prince wore a sage green kimono decorated with pumpkins and brown floral pants. To complete his attire he proudly wore a Kanata on his left hip, the sheath colored black. In addition to his attire, he wore a watchful expression and appeared ready to spring into defense at the slightest sign of danger posed to his Emperor or Empress.

After proudly displaying her hina doll set in her bedroom for years, Kaoru had retired them to the safety of the storage room after her 14th birthday. While she acknowledged she no longer needed the dolls at her maturity level, she was unwilling to completely part with them and opted to store them instead of sailing them down the river. How she had forgotten their existence was a mystery to her...

Chewing on her bottom lip, Kaoru contemplated on what course of action to take with the dolls. While she was a grown woman who should be willing to part with her dolls, they were a fond part of her childhood and held memories of her father. Lifting the box that contained her prized possessions, Kaoru carried them into her bedroom. At the very least, she could show respect to her containers of evil spirits by giving them a thorough cleaning. Afterwards she would decide whether to put them on display or return them to storage.

* * *

The clattering of plates could be heard from the kitchen of the Kamiya-san dojo with the accompaniment of voices and laughter.

"So needless to say after rescuing her cat from the tree, the lady graciously invited me over for dinner to repay me for my good samaritan deed", Sano completed his story with a cocky grin.

"Oh get off your high horse Sano! There's no way that is the reason you've been skipping out on dinners around here," Yahiko exclaimed. "I could see you taking up a lady's offer for on free meal… but for the past two weeks you've been gone! You're leaving out a crucial part of the story. I can feel it."

"Chill out lil' man. I told you what happened. Ain't no reason to go diggin' further. What are you… my nanny or something?" Sano rebutted.

Grinning cockily Yahiko replied, "Nice try Sano, but you aren't distracting me with that weak insult as bait. I know there's more to the story. I bet the lady was pretty… real pretty… and that's why you haven't been around. I bet you've been pestering her every since you rescued her cat. Or better yet. I wouldn't be surprised if you put her cat in the tree to begin with just so you would have a reason to talk to her! Admit it! There's more to the story than you're letting on!"

"You've got to admit Sano, Yahiko is right. Your story has a few holes in it. What are you holding back from us?" Kaoru asked inquisitively. "If you're in trouble or need our help you can let us know. We're family and we are all here for you," Kaoru paused as she noticed the defensive posture Sano was beginning to take on, "Or if you did meet a beautiful lady, as Yahiko believes, you should invite her over for dinner sometime! We'd love to meet her," Kaoru back-peddled, after sensing the rising tension in the air. She was happy to see Sano after his prolonged absence at dinner, but noticed something was off after he attempted to explain why he'd been away for so long.

"Kaoru-san, if Sano has something he is hiding from us, who are we to pry? That is not how friends are suppose to act. Though I understand your lack of social grace, you should at least know this of all things," Megumi interjected coolly.

Kaoru stared at Megumi as if she was a deer startled in a field. While Megumi was always looking for a way to slide in an insult in Kaoru's direction whenever possible, she had never intervened to aid Sano. "Megumi is right Sano. We didn't mean to pry. I just wanted to make sure you realize we're here for you if you need help. Or if you've met someone special," Kaoru added for safe measures.

Shruging it off Sano replied, "No worries Missy. I know you guys are here for me. I'm just a little hurt none of you believe my story." Sighing sadly for extra dramatics Sano stood and stretched. "Well, I think it's 'bout time for me to hit the hay. You want me to walk you home fox?"

"I am more than capable of walking myself, thank you very much. However, I am heading out as well," Megumi replied with her normal attitude.

"Shessa thanks you for coming over tonight for dinner. It was great to catch up with everyone," Kenshin concluded.

"Yup, cya round Kenshin"

"Have a goodnight Sir Ken"

Yahiko and Kaoru watched with eagle eyes as the pair left the Kamiya-dojo. As soon as they were out of eyeshot Kaoru and Yahiko looked at each other, gave a short affirmative nod to one another, and retreated back to their normal positions.

Yawning, Yahiko stood up to leave. "Welp, goodnight you guys. I'm whooped."

"Goodnight Yahiko," Kaoru stood and started to clear the dinner plates away. "Sleep well… and be prepared for more training tomorrow. I went easy on you today, but that's not going to happen again tomorrow. We need to find away to channel your frustration and not let it distract you in combat." Yahiko's retreating form could be seen waving dismissingly at Kaoru's comment.

Turning to Kenshin, Kaoru smiled and continued to clean up the dirty dinner plates.

"You were awfully quiet at dinner Kenshin, is everything alright?"

"Yes Kaoru-dono, Sessha is fine. One was merely enjoying the company of everyone being together. This one realizes you have had a long day. Why don't you go to bed while Sessha takes care of the rest of dinner?"

Under normal circumstances Kaoru would have argued and stayed to clean up with Kenshin. However, the events of dinner were pressing on her mind and she had much to do before bed. Stretching she replied, "Thank you Kenshin. That's awfully nice of you. I am beat after the day and would appreciate going to bed early. Have a good night and I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Kaoru-dono"

* * *

After returning to her bedroom Kaoru grabbed her jacket and jumped out of the window. Tiptoeing stealthy, she made her way to the gate while making sure to keep in the shadows. The last thing she wanted was to get caught by Kenshin. Climbing over the gate she leapt down and sprinted into the shadows of the alleyway. Ducking into the alleyway, Kaoru attempted to catch her breath, before she nearly screaming with a hand grabbed her on the shoulder.

"Relax Ugly, it's just me. What took so long?"

"Yahiko! You gave me a heart attack! I had to at least start to clear the dinner plates before leaving. Kenshin would have known something was up if I left for bed immediately."

"Yea, yea… let's go. We're already way behind them. "

Starting at a brisk jog, Yahiko and Kaoru made their way down the alleyway. "Did you see how weird Sano was acting throughout his corny story? And then the way Megumi came to his rescue? There's something funny going on between those two. And if it's way I think it is…"

"Then you've lost your bet ugly and I will be declared victor," Yahiko finished smugly.

Glaring out the corner of her eye, Kaoru couldn't resist the urge to push Yahiko into the corner they were rounding. Snickering as he stumbled she added, "Tsk tsk Yahiko-chan. I hope you haven't forgotten Misao's buy in to the bet as well. If our two little love birds have finally admitted their feelings to one another I believe the time frame falls under her chosen dates, not yours."

Smirking at the realization dawning on Yahiko's face Kaoru slowed their pace to a walk as they neared the clinic.

"Yea… well maybe they're just hanging out and haven't actually made any moves. After all, what's that little weasel know?" Yahiko countered weakly.

"Not so confident now, are you Yahiko-chan? And I hope you realize it's a ninja's job to be able to read people and predict their actions. You should have more faith in Misao's ability to use her natural skills. After all Aoshi has been training her again."

They both came to a stop roughly a hundred yards from the clinic. They sat carefully in the shadows and waited. Both lost in their thoughts of Sano and Megumi, wondering if they had admitted their feelings for one another.

The waiting continued for another fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes soon turned to thirty minutes. After the passing of forty minutes both were beginning to fidget and feel restless.

Yahiko stood from his seat and stretched, "You don't think we missed them, do you? We took all of the shortcuts and ran here. There's no way they could have beat us. Especially not walking and we both know Megumi is not one to jog home for the heck of it."

"Gosh, I don't know Yahiko… Regardless of which way they came they should have been here by know. Even if they had taken a stroll by the river, they should have been here by now. Is there anywhere else they could have gone?"

Pondering Yahiko suggested, "Sano's…?"

Standing from her seated position Kaoru chuckled. No matter how far into their relationship Sano and Megumi were – if they were even in a relationship – there was no way hell Megumi would step foot into Sano's disgusting apartment. On a good day the stench of his flat was equivalent to that of ten sweaty men with nasty body odor accompanied by the hint of rotten food.

"Negative Yahiko. I've only seen a glimpse of Sano's place, and I never want to experience that again. There is no way Megumi would risk disease and infection by stepping a toe into that disaster of a room, let alone spend a night there."

"I suppose that's right. But where in the heck could they be? …though I guess it isn't that big of a deal. It just means we are one day closer to the time frame I betted on instead of the weasel's."

Sighing in defeat Kaoru stood and turned in the direction of the dojo. "I suppose you're right Yahiko. Either way I'm tired of sitting. Lets head home and strategize better for our next mission."

Nodding in agreement Yahiko followed Kaoru back to the dojo.

* * *

Welp! There it is! I hope you enjoyed it :-) Or at the very least I hope I didn't waste too much of your time. I know it's kind of a long chapter – but I wasn't sure where to cut it at. Please leave reviews if you feel that this chapter was worthy enough!


	2. Chapter 1: Tegami Part 1

_Author's Notes_: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed! I was so excited to read everyone's thoughts and opinions! As promised, since you wonderful people have provided me with reviews, I have completed another chapter. I hope it's better than the first, but I'll have to wait for you to read it and type out your verdict!

Also - I apologize for the delay in updating. This unworthy one got a second job and was tired and lazy as a result. Then said unworthy one was laid off due to too many horses needing time off. Theennn… said unworthy one went traveling to see some friends and family. Please forgive my lack of loyalty with updating *drops into a low apologetic bow*

Now! Without further ado – your update

* * *

**Chapter One: Tegami Part I**

The smacking of bokkens could be heard from all corners of the dojo, accompanied by a string of yells and curses that resonated through the air. A female's voice could be identified as she attempted to reason with a boy's voice packed with fury. The speed of bokkens hitting one another began to steadily increase as the communication between male and female dwindled. If one were to walk by and take notice of the sounds emerging from the yard of the dojo, they would surely think the spar would continue perpetuity. However, ten minutes into the duel a resonating whack could be heard as a bokken finally made contact with its target and thus concluding the fight. There was a grunt of pain, the sound of someone landing on the dojo floor, and the eerie silence that follows the completion of a dual – each opponent sizing up the other.

"Wha…" Yahiko panted from his seat on the floor, "What was that?! That wasn't even fair Busu! How is springing a new kendo move on me at the very end of practice fair?"

Shaking her head disapprovingly Kaoru replied, "First off Yahiko-_chan_ I can use what ever type of kendo move I want in a duel. You should always be ready. Even if I typically reveal a new move to you during the beginning of our practices, you should NOT always expect them to come within that time. Secondly…" Kaoru raised her voice to vent, "where the heck is your head?! Have you been ignoring everything I've taught you thus far? Or are you really that dense?"

Standing from his seat, Yahiko attempted to match Kaoru in stature by pushing his shoulders backwards and sticking out his chest. "What are you talking about Ugly? I've been doing everything correct from the start. Admit it. You're just a terrible teacher," Yahiko exclaimed as he stuck his tongue out at her to prove his point.

Blood boiling from the bottom of her toes to the roots of her hair, Kaoru applied every ounce of will power she possessed and turned away from her pupil. Counting to ten while focusing on nothing, especially not the ranting of Yahiko, Kaoru relaxed herself or at least tried to. It was moments such as these, that Kaoru wished her father was around to aid her in teaching. He had the patience of a saint and was able to logically talk his students down to the point where he could continue teaching again. Yahiko and she were just _too_ similar. Their stubbornness and inability to admit one's mistakes made teaching a strenuous, if not impossible task at times. Today was a prime example of how their mulishness and hotheadedness made training difficult.

"Yahiko! I will not stand for such disrespect during practice. You will clean the entire dojo, dusted, and everything. When I return you will have a report as to why your attacks did not prevail and explain how you will fix them in the future. If you cannot come up with the correct reasons, we will have a second match to promote your ability to analyze yourself during combat. Afterwards you will clean the dojo a second time. If you are still unable to identify areas where you can improve upon, we will keep repeating this cycle until you have learned to concentrate on your moves and are able to focus on yourself, in addition to your opponent. Do you understand?"

Not wanting to increase his punishment, Yahiko pressed his lips together tightly and nodded his head mutedly before getting to work. Sighing in exasperation, Kaoru left the dojo to space herself away from her pupil and the tension that had been created from their training session. Rounding the corner, Kaoru spotted Kenshin washing laundry in the yard. Covering the distance to where he sat, Kaoru collapsed into a heap of irritation in front of him. Too upset to worry about acting graceful or womanly in front of him, Kaoru dove strait to the point.

"Kenshin, what did Hiko-san do to overcome an obstacle you and him faced during training? Whether he had a hard time teaching you new moves or if the both of you were frustrated with one another. As a teacher were there any tactics he used to try and move your schooling forward, while jumping the obstacle that stood in the way of your progression?"

Stopping from his scrubbings Kenshin looked up to the sky and contemplated Kaoru's question. "If one remembers correctly Kaoru-dono, as those practices are a little fuzzy in one's mind, Sessha believes Shishou beat me into the ground until I either learned the technique he was teaching, submitted to his way of thinking, or passed out from exhaustion." Smiling, he scratched his head innocently, while unintentionally mixing bubbles into his tangled mess of red hair. He sheepishly turned to face Kaoru and added, "Most times I lost consciousness and woke up hours later alone in the training field. Shishou was… tough when problems arose from training. Or anything else for that matter."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Kaoru released a breath of air. She should have known better than to ask Kenshin how Hiko handled glitches. Naturally he would blame it on the other person, as there was _no_ _way_ Hiko could possibly be the reason for a setback in training. Throwing her arms over her head and collapsing onto her back, Kaoru sighed while taking note of a passing bird overhead.

"My Sessha ask why you are wondering Kaoru-dono?"

"My dearest pupil and I were butting heads today in training..." Rubbing the growing pressure Kaoru felt in her temples she missed the gentle smile Kenshin wore on his face as he observed her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't suppose you would have any suggestions on how to handle a holdup with Yahiko and I, would you Kenshin?"

"Sessha is afraid not, but this one has faith that you will be able to find the best path of action to take in regards to Yahiko's training. You are, after all Kaoru-dono, his sensei. You are the one who knows young Yahiko best and how he operates."

"Hai Kenshin…" Kaoru replied heavily, "I honestly believe we are simply too similar, which is what gets us into trouble most of the time. Though I'd rather not admit it, we are both easily riled and do not back down." Kaoru turned her head on the ground and smiled up at Kenshin. She held his gaze a moment longer than necessary after noticing a difference in his smile. However, upon blinking her redheaded tenant was back to wearing his silly rurouni expression.

Turning her head away and resuming her stare back to the birds overhead, Kaoru added evilly, "However, now that you mention it Kenshin, beating Yahiko up until he loses consciousness sounds like the perfect route to take."

Hearing Kenshin's chuckles, Kaoru began to relax on the ground with the sounds of laundry being washed and Kenshin's breathing lulling her into a tranquil state. Her last thoughts before she fell asleep were that maybe Yahiko and her just needed to take a break from one another during training and let the dust settle before continuing any further. Or the worst-case scenario she could always crack open a can of whoop ass and whack his bratty little ego into place.

-INSERT BREAK-

"Kaoru…"

Groaning in her groggy state, Kaoru moaned sleepily as she rolled onto her side to return back to the state of blissful unawareness. Nonetheless, the snicker she heard coming from somewhere close, yet so far away, had her awareness slowly returning to her.

"Hey Kenshin! Come here and look at the drool coming out of Kaoru's mouth. I didn't know a single person could create so much saliva! She must be part dog or something. Heyyy! That explains where her ugliness comes from!" Yahiko said in a voice filled with mirth.

Startled at the possibility of drooling in her sleep and Kenshin seeing it, Kaoru abruptly sat up from her resting place and quickly wiped her face with the ends of her sleeves. Turning her attention to her sleeves Kaoru found no wetness and after a quick search of the yard found no Kenshin in the near vicinity. Only a snickering Yahiko to her right.

Standing from her resting spot, Kaoru sent Yahiko a death glare.

"Haha, Yahiko. Very funny." Finally taking in all of her surroundings Kaoru realized how low the sun was in the sky and the drop in temperature. Turning back to Yahiko she asked, "What time is it?"

"Almost dinner time Busu. I was going to wake you up after I was done with the dojo, but Kenshin said to leave you be so you could rest." Yahiko answered with a shrugged.

Stretching out the stiffness from her back, Kaoru shook her head in exasperation. Leave it to Kenshin to let her sleep the whole afternoon away when there was plenty of work to do. While she was tired from her and Yahiko's failed attempt of stalking Megumi and Sano yesterday evening, there was no need for her to snooze away valuable daylight hours.

"Great. Well I suppose we'll have to eat dinner late unless you've come up with a reason for your shortcomings in today's practice."

"I thought you'd realize by now that I am the best student you got sensei!" Yahiko said in his normal cocky tone before shifting his stare downwards to brush off imaginary dirt on his pants. Before Kaoru could tell her pupil otherwise, Yahiko continued, "But if I had to take a guess as to something I could potentially improve on, I would say my Chu-dan position. I could see how someone would come to the hasty assumption that I'm too offensive and need to use my neutral Chu-dan stance more so I can observe my opponent before coming in for the victory blow!" Yahiko exclaimed while adding in a kendo slice with his imaginary bokken for dramatics.

Letting out a breath of air Kaoru shook her head disapprovingly. Some days she found Yahiko's antics to be too much. Despite that and the absurd beginning and ending to his explanation, the middle portion of what he said held some truth. Chewing on her bottom lip in consideration Kaoru debated her options. Option A: Smack him on the head for being an arrogant child and haul his ass back to the dojo to use him as a personal dummy. Or Option B: Give in to the grumbling of her stomach, enjoy the warm meal being prepared by a talented cook, agree to come to a standstill with her pupil, and conclude today's training with a whack on the head for good measures.

Yes. Definitely Option B.

"Alright Yahiko, while you may have over embellished quite a bit with your explanation I think you've hit one of the major points I wanted you to realize. You also need to breath with you stomach instead of your chest." Noticing the glazing over of Yahiko's eyes she quickly drew out her bokken and slapped him on the head.

"YAHIKO! Tell me why belly breathing is better than chest breathing!" Kaoru yelled out.

Rubbing the huge lump that was forming on his head Yahiko replied heatedly, "So you can take in more oxygen and thus have more speed and strength while fighting."

"Annnnd….?"

Rolling his eyes he replied, "And it also gives you an advantage of stealth. If your opponent is unaware of when you are taking in air he is less likely to strike at those times, which is good because you move slower. By using belly breathing your body does not give away when you are inhaling, unlike chest breathing which causes your shoulders to raise and fall."

Nodding her head in conformation Kaoru began to turn toward the kitchen. "Good. That will be all for tonight. Just make sure you review everything you know mentally before combat tomorrow. That will help you immensely in the fighting ring."

* * *

Dinner was uneventful but the food was delicious as ever. After finishing their meals Kaoru helped Kenshin clean the table and cooking utensils. They worked simultaneously together. Kenshin washed the dishes as Kaoru dried and place them back into their proper setting. Afterwards she would dust the kitchen and dinning areas and Kenshin would meet her with a dustpan to collect the dirt and throw it away. Following the completion of their work they would retire to their respective rooms, as was their normal routine. At least that's how their evenings at home typically went and why Kaoru was so startled when Kenshin broke from the habitual sequence.

"Kaoru-dono, this one believes it is a beautiful night and was thinking of going for a walk. Sessha would be honored if you would accompanied him to the river and back." Kenshin politely invited Kaoru before quickly adding in, "That is if you aren't too tired."

After recovering from her initial shock at the invite, Kaoru meet Kenshin's hesitant gaze with a bright smile. This unexpected offer was a nice surprise that would have her skipping through the rest of the week on cloud nine.

"That's a great idea Kenshin! I would love to join you for an evening walk. Let me go grab a cover and I'll meet you outside."

Without waiting for a reply Kaoru tried to walk nonchalantly off to her room without looking too eager, but she was sure it looked more like a hurried pace. She didn't care though. Kenshin and her were going for a walk! This evening couldn't get any better! The last time Kenshin and her had walked alone together for pure pleasure was on the beach after he had rescued her – and she had convinced herself he had taken her on that walk to ensure himself she was unharmed and safe. Since then all of their strolls had been purely platonic due to shopping at the market, going to Akabeko for dinner with the gang, or making a visit to see Gensai, Ayame, and Suzume. This was BIG. And she was going to do everything in her power to make it run smoothly and hopefully turn it into an every night occurrence.

Picking out a coat from the closet of her bedroom, Kaoru did a little twirl in her room due to the energy building throughout her. In her clumsiness and excited state she accidently knocked over the storage box containing her hina dolls that was sitting on her table. Momentarily she considered picking up the mess, but didn't want to be late for her walk with Kenshin. Dismissing the mess with the wave of her hand, Kaoru made her way out to the yard, while overlooking the aged paper that had slipped out of the box and floated to the floor…

* * *

Walking side by side down the river pathway Kaoru admired the view of the evening. Small diamonds were scattered about the black blanket that surrounded the sky. The flow of the river could be heard mixed with the rustling of long grasses and shrubs that adjoined the shoreline. Small crickets were chirping with one another, while the moon shined bright with all its glory lighting their route. Smiling in contentment Kaoru stole a glance at Kenshin. He seemed to be relaxed, or at least relaxed enough. He wore a comfortable expression and his shoulders weren't held tense.

Shifting her gaze to the road ahead of them Kaoru stuttered step when she caught a glimpse of a lighting bug. No. Relax Kaoru. He isn't leaving. You are merely going for an evening walk. This is not the past. Focus on the present and nothing else. Kenshin had said a walk to the river and _back_. They were returning home together.

Noticing the change in her demeanor, Kenshin took hold of Kaoru's hand, turned their direction towards the water, and led her to the shoreline.

"This looks like a good place to sit and look at the stars, don't you think Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked with a gentle smile on his face.

Startled by the contact of Kenshin's hand on hers Kaoru looked at him dumbfounded. What were those words that had just come out of his month? After he had taken her hand Kaoru's sense of touch heighten immediately, but left her other senses a little fuzzy. Not wanting to look like a fool, but also not wanting to ruin the moment Kaoru simply nodded her head in agreement to whatever Kenshin had said. Surely it couldn't have been anything bad. As she watched Kenshin lead them to the riverside Kaoru tried to smoothly mimic his behaviors without looking too stiff or clumsy. Studying Kenshin's movements as he released her hand to sit on the ground Kaoru was able to piece together what he had said earlier. Smiling in delight, she took her seat next to him on the cool ground that was slightly damp from the condensation of dew.

Realizing that he was again talking without her attention, Kaoru quickly turned her ears on and tried to conquer the butterflies that were growing in her stomach.

"… those stars to the right," Kenshin pointed to the sky, "there are three stars that form what is called tsuzumi bushi. The three stars that form a line are the middle of the drum, while the strings that go in both direction hold the leather of the drum into place on both sides."

Innocently leaning closer to Kenshin in order to view the stars he was pointing at, she squinted her eyes in concentration and tried to pick out the correct stars and shape being described to her before gasping in delight.

"I see it now Kenshin! It kind of has an hourglass appearance, doesn't it? My father once told me those stars represent the outstretched hand of a delicate woman allowing her kimono sleeve to hang on display draping the southern sky. However, I'll admit I've always seen a man standing alone in the night sky, the three stars being his waist. He always seemed so lonely, yet brave and willing to stand isolated." Realizing she was rambling, Kaoru let an embarrassed laugh escape her and added, "That was just my premise as a young girl looking up at the stars though. It does sounds a little silly now that I'm saying it out loud."

"Not at all Kaoru-dono," Kenshin smiled reassuringly, "When Shessa was in the war some of the men described the man you see in the sky. This one believes they called him Orion. The westerns believed he was a hunter of his own caliber. Both strong and courageous. Your own description isn't too far off from theirs," Kenshin informed her smoothly.

Meeting Kenshin's eyes Kaoru smiled. It was just like him to find a way to make her feel better. Make her feel good about herself and not fear about saying the wrong thing in front of him – even if she did regardless.

"If one remembers correctly, Sessha believe the story follows along the lines of Orion falling in love with a King's daughter." Noticing the attentive look on Kaoru's face Kenshin continued, "The king forbade their union, despite Orion having rid the King's homeland of beasts that had caused the King's villagers trouble for so long. Orion, upset at the king's disapproval of their union, tried to win his maiden over by violence, but was robbed of his sight and tossed out to the seashore by her father. There he met the sun god and had his sight restored by a beam of the sun's light. Later on in his life, Orion met another woman who apparently was a hunter nearly as talented as him. They came to know one another and were beginning to fall in love. However, the huntress' brother did not approve." Pausing to take a breath Kenshin concentrated in an effort to remember the tale correctly.

"What happen next Kenshin?" Kaoru prompted eagerly.

Smiling sadly, Kenshin continued, "Unfortunately Kaoru-dono, this does not have a happy ending. One day the brother took his sister out hunting. During the hunt he spotted Orion swimming far out in the ocean, with nothing but his head bobbing out of the wavy waters. Knowing his vision was better than his sister's, the brother bet that she couldn't hit the black dot floating out at sea. Not wanting to ruin her reputation, the sister strung her bow and aimed for the floating black dot with precision. She released her arrow, which hit its target fatally. The waves rolled the body of Orion to shore, where the sister realized her lethal mistake with tears. In her emotional turmoil she placed Orion in the stars to rest for eternity."

Not quite sure what to say to the ending of the tale, Kaoru turned her attention back to what she would now call Orion and contemplated what Kenshin had just told her. That was nowhere close to the story she had imagined in her head as a child. She hated to admit it, but it bothered her the way the Westerners had portrayed her man in the sky. She had always thought of him as a protector of the peace or a lone man in search of some quest. To discover the Westerners' tale of him was depressing. To have loved twice and never been allowed to experience that was an unfulfilled life. On the other hand, she supposed there was the saying _it is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all_.

"I'll admit that tale is a little more extreme than the one I had imagined," Kaoru said quietly, while trying to collect her thoughts of the story to share in a coherent manner. "I feel sorry for Orion. He was not able to experience a relationship with either of the women he had come to have feelings for. Though I am curious as to why he didn't return to the first woman he loved. Weren't his feelings strong enough? Wouldn't it have been better to live with her in friendship than to not live with her at all? Or perhaps his feelings were so strong for her that it was too painful to be so close and not have her? I would think if he was as strong and courageous as they say, he would want to stay close to the princess and be able to protect her if the call ever came." Turning her head to Kenshin she concluded, "In the end, I suppose his life wasn't as sad as the story makes it out to be. He was able to accomplish more in his life than most people. Orion saved villagers from beasts and was able to find love in two different people. I know many people live their entire life without ever finding a person to love – and that to me is a sad life."

Daringly, Kaoru asked, "What's your take on the story Kenshin?"

Continuing to stare at the sky, Kaoru almost thought he was going to ignore her question when he began, "Sessha had also wondered why he never returned to the princess. Did Orion really love her, and if so why didn't he return? Or perhaps his feelings were just from his male ego thinking he deserved the princess since he was the strongest. Maybe he feared and/or respected the king's wish after being defeated? There is the possibility he was too embarrassed to return after displaying open violence and being beaten by the king."

Pausing to turn his head in her direction Kenshin added, "During the war when this one first heard the story, Sessha had brusquely come to the conclusion Orion had got what he had coming for him. To turn his back on the woman he loved and fall in love with another. Sessha thought the ending of Orion's life by the huntress was befitting for his lack of loyalty to the princess. This one had never thought of the story in your way Kaoru-dono. Sessha must agree that despite Orion's life being short, he had accomplished much in his time on earth."

Smiling at Kenshin, Kaoru couldn't help but add, "I believe the saying is, _It is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all_, ne Kenshin?"

Kenshin's smile reduced fractionally just as Kaoru realized the mistake she had unwittedly made. Before she could interject, Kenshin had returned to laying on his back and gazing up at the stars before saying in an deflated tone, "Hai, Kaoru-dono. Some people would say that."

Not knowing what else to say in order to save the moment, Kaoru returned back to her vantage point of the stars above. If there was one way she could have royally ruin tonight's outing, she had found it. She wasn't even thinking of Kenshin when she had rattled off that quote. How stupid could she be? The other reason she had disliked the western's version of the story was because it hit too close to home. The second woman who had fallen in love with Orion had killed him unknowingly, just as Kenshin had killed Tomoe. Granted the situations were different, but the end result was the same.

It was nights such as these that made thinking of Kenshin as an assassin and his past truly difficult. Refusing to let herself look at Kenshin, despite wanting to check on him terribly, Kaoru continued her thoughts of all of the trauma he had endured for his beliefs. How he managed to complete his tasks and lose the woman he loved without breaking down mentally was beyond her. Just the thought of losing Kenshin had her heart constricting. If she were the one to land the deathblow on the person she loved, regardless if she was blind, deaf, and unknowing, she wouldn't know what to do. For Kami-sake, she had all but shut down when Kenshin had left her to defend Japan. She hadn't the slightest clue how she would handle the knowledge of being the one to give Kenshin the deathblow. How Kenshin had managed to pull himself out depression, guilt, misery, self-hate, and any other associated emotions were beyond her. He was truly a strong individual. Both physically and mentally.

Thinking back to her earlier comment, Kaoru had always liked the saying it was better to have loved and lost, than to not have loved at all. She had always believed that no matter what the situation, it was better to experience the joy of being in love with someone and lose it than to live your life lonely and isolated. While it was painful for her to love Kenshin from afar, she would rather he be in her life than to not have met him at all. All of the adventures, friendships, and happy times would not have materialized had he not been around. She thanked Kami-sama every day for allowing her to meet the redhead and for his decision to stay at her dojo. However, she could see how Kenshin's experience with Tomoe would have him cringing at that saying. While the feelings he felt for Tomoe and the times they spent together in Kenshin's mind were priceless, it would have been better to not have loved her at all – thus saving her life. And if Kaoru was to be put into Kenshin's position, she would full heartedly agree. Without a second of hesitation she would give up everything, even her friendships with Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, Misao, and everyone she had met to ensure she had never met Kenshin and consequently would avoid ever killing him.

Yes. She had completely ruined tonight's outing.

* * *

Something was moving. The constant bump, bump, bump had Kaoru slowly returning to an awakened state that she didn't want to be in. Groaning, Kaoru tried to stop the motion by snuggling deeper into her pillow. Trying to puzzle together why her bed was moving Kaoru sighed contently as she breathed in the smell of ginger and forest. That's funny… it smelled just like Kenshin. Snuggling deeper into the warmth of her bed Kaoru was disturbed when she heard her pillow rumble as if it were chuckling. Cracking an eye open, Kaoru surveyed her surroundings. She was most definitely not in bed. It appeared as though she was on the main street heading back in the direction of the dojo about three blocks away from home and something constrictive was holding her. Kaoru looked up to see violet eyes crinkled by a smile observing her. Startled at her new surroundings she quickly tried to get herself out of Kenshin's arms and stand on her own two feet, but was stopped by the tightening of his strong arms.

"Mau Kenshin! I have two feet to carry myself. There's no need for you to carry my body weight around. You should have woken me up when you were ready to leave," Kaoru explained and she continued to struggle fruitlessly in an attempted to get down.

Smiling in response Kenshin replied in a calm voice that didn't seem the least bit strained due to carrying her, "There is no need to worry Kaoru-dono. We are almost to the dojo and I have kept you out late. The least I can do is carry you home." Then with a hint of amusement in his voice he added, "Especially after how grumpy you were at the prospect of getting up. You only agreed to come home after Sessha suggested that I carry you."

Kaoru ceased her struggling and turned a deep shade of red at the horror of what she had just heard. What had she done in her sleepy state?! Gulping down the fear she felt cultivating Kaoru asked, "Did I say anything else that I'm not aware off Kenshin?"

Shrugging casually, Kenshin shook his head and said, "Not really Kaoru-dono."

The growing feeling of doom amplified in her stomach. "What do you mean not really? It's kind of a yes or no question Kenshin."

"You asked Sessha why we don't do this more often and this one did not have a proper answer so Sessha told you this one wasn't sure. You drowsily told me we should do this more frequently. This one believes you said something along the lines of 'if it ain't broken don't fix it' though Sessha is unsure how that applies."

Oh Kami. They weren't even courting and she was already being clingy and trying to get Kenshin to spend more alone time with her. Isn't that something that all men hated? She'd probably scared him off for good with her luck. Why did she always have to push for more? Why couldn't she wait for Kenshin to suggest it – even if that would take eternity?

"Which this one happily agreed to."

Wait. What was that he just said? He actually wanted to spend more time with her? Or was he just being nice? But if he was being nice he could have ignored the whole situation since she didn't remember it ever taking place. Could this be the break through she'd been waiting for or was this just an opportunity to get away from the dojo? On top of all of that, how could he be interested in spending more time with her after the comment she had made?

The growing silence had Kenshin beginning to second-guess himself, "But this one understands if you would rather spend nights at the dojo as we normally do. After all Kaoru-dono you work very hard and this one understands that if…"

"No! That sounds like a wonderful idea Kenshin! I mean… that is if you aren't too busy during the nights or are too tried," Kaoru interrupted him hastily.

Smiling, Kenshin replied gently, "Sessha believes that is a good idea Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru averted her gaze from him to keep her blushing to a minimum after the conversation they had just had. Luckily for her, they had reached the dojo gates and Kenshin was releasing his grip on her so that she could stand. They quietly locked the gate and walked in the directions of their rooms while trying to avoid waking Yahiko. They came to a stop outside of Kaoru's bedroom door as Kenshin appeared to be hesitating.

"Kaoru-dono, this one would like to thank you for the evening and wish you good night." Kenshin spoke softly.

Kaoru made contact with Kenshin's eyes and whispered quietly as if not to break the serenity of the moment, "Thank you for the evening walk Kenshin. I hope you have a good night and I'll see you in the morning."

Glad she hadn't stuttered or turned as red as a tomato during their closing comments Kaoru turned to her bedroom and slid the door shut behind her. Grinning like a fool she made her way to the futon and flopped ungracefully onto it. Looking at the ceiling, Kaoru went over the events of the day minute by minute. After scrutinizing over everything she could possibly think of she was certain that the events of today were big. She wasn't sure what had ignited this change in Kenshin, but was just down right thrilled it was happening. While she was certain most of it had to do with Kenshin's gentle nature, Kaoru was positive the continuing of these walks had the potential to lead to a more in-depth relationship.

Rolling onto her belly, Kaoru observed her room while mentally assessing her future plans. Should she change her appearance, maybe pack an evening snack, or perhaps bring some candlelight on their next outing? Or keep everything the same and wait on Kenshin to make their time together more intimate? Rolling her eyes at her stupidity Kaoru let a puff of annoyed air escape her. Even if this was a change and did have the potential to lead to more, she needed to keep her hopes at least somewhat grounded. This was Kenshin she was talking about and she couldn't expect a miracle over night, let alone over a year. What she needed to do was accept what was given to her and enjoy it for what it was.

Standing up, Kaoru walked over to change into her sleeping yamaka when her eyes caught a slip of paper on the ground next to the knocked over storage box that contained her hina dolls. Stepping over to the grab the paper, Kaoru bent down and grabbed it before identifying the seal on it. Her father's. Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, she quickly made her way back to the futon and sat.

Licking her lips in anticipation, she broke the seal with shaking hands and mentally read with the voice of her father…

* * *

Glossary: 

Busu- ugly

Dono – miss (aka Miss Kaoru)

Ne – okay

Sessha – unworthy one


	3. Chapter 2: Tegami Part 2

_Author's Notes:_ *sequels in delight* Wow! First off, I'd like to thank all of you wonderful reviewers! Those reviews really go along way – especially for a beginner writer, such as myself, who is constantly riding the struggle bus where writing is concerned. Secondly, I just reread my own story (as weird as that sounds) and despite some spelling and grammatical errors, I'm really happy with it! The first chapter was definitely lacking, but I believe I got my game on in the second chapter. While it isn't anywhere near the quality of writing I want it to be, I believe it flowed better and contained more in depth description of the characters and their interactions. Practice makes perfect!

And for anyone who cares – a little update on my personal life. Fair season is officially here and I could NOT be happier. The smell of animal manure and greasy food has quite the alluring affect on me (as gross as that sounds). Needless to say, my first meal was a cheese infused, bacon wrapped, deep-fried hotdog… it was DELICIOUS and probably shaved off three years of my life. I plan to go at least one more time to this particular fair and have many more to visit within the upcoming weeks

Now on with the story!

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Rurouni Kenshin (obviously).

**INSERT BREAK**

_-Start of Recap-_

_Standing up, Kaoru walked over to change into her sleeping yukata when her eyes caught sight of a slip of paper on the ground next to the knocked over storage box that contained her hina dolls. Stepping over the mess to the grasp the paper, Kaoru bent down and grabbed it before identifying the seal. Her father's. Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, she quickly made her way back to the futon and sat. _

_Licking her lips in anticipation, she broke the seal with shaking hands and mentally read with the voice of her father…_

_-End of Recap-_

My Dearest Kaoru,

Congratulations! Today you have mastered the Hadome blade catch! The look of excitement and accomplishment on your face had me swelling with pride. You are continuously making it difficult for your poor old Otou-san to see you as his little musume. With every passing day your strength and wisdom increases. It will only be a matter of time before you are master of the Kamiya – Kasshin Dojo. I can already foresee you leading its future students with the grace and determination of your predecessor. I look forward to the day when I can pass on the responsibilities of our family's traditions to you.

Sadly, I must inform you this letter is not to congratulate you on your latest achievement… in fact, it is to discuss the recent turn of events. As you have been informed, I will be leaving shortly to join the efforts of the war in defending our emperor. I would like to commend you on the strong face you have been wearing. It is never an easy task to watch a person you care for, let alone your only parent, leave for combat. I am so very grateful that you realize duty comes first young one. I recognize my departure will be the most challenging part of your life thus far. Nonetheless, I know you will push through because you are of samurai blood and are strong willed. You understand that our philosophy does not allow me to sit by idly while innocent people are hurt.

I must confess, even though this will enrage that spitfire temper of yours, I am relieved you are too young to join the war and were born a female. Despite being an excellent fighter, my dear Kaoru, I am happy with the knowledge my only musume will be safe from the direct effects of war. It is times like these when I especially miss your Okaasan. If she were still with us today, you would have each other to console in. My heart clenches at the thought of leaving my only child to fend for herself. Yet I know this is what fortune has elected for us.

My beloved Kaoru, I pray you do not view me a coward for not giving you this letter in person, but the reason is twofold. You see the first reason is I did not want you reading this letter before my departure and becoming distraught. Secondly, I did not want to openly admit there is a chance I may not return. We both understand how battle works and there is only one victor. In duels the failures are able to live another day and train themselves to improve for their next fight, but in war… most times the defeated are not given the opportunity to better themselves… or live to see another sunrise. Even with the writing of this letter, I do not acknowledge or accept that possibly. Though I am your _old_ otou-san, I still have much to accomplish in life. I will fight with everything Kami-sama has given me to come home victorious and continue my role as master of the Kamiya – Kasshin Dojo, but also to resume my most important responsibility. Being your father.

It is my hope that if you are reading this, I have simply forgotten to take this letter out of your hina doll container and thrown it away. However, if you have found this letter and I am longer bound to the physical plane, it means I have failed you. All I can ask is for your forgiveness. I stood up and fought for what I believed in, just as my opponents did. We should not condemn others for undertaking the same path, but for different reasons… even if their opinions do not agree with our own. What we must do is stand up for what we believe is right and hold true to our convictions.

This leads me to the main reason for this letter. Your beliefs and convictions my fledgling. While your heart is pure and your principles align with that of our school, you cannot truly stand by what you teach as you have never been exposed to anything other than the Kamiya – Kasshin style. You cannot unequivocally teach our family's style while not having experienced other material art styles. This may be putting it into lament terms, but the best way I can describe it would be comparing it to food… perhaps I should begin dinner for us, ne?

To simply put it, one cannot claim their sushi is best without tasting that of their challengers. Nor can one claim their sushi is of the highest quality without studying the ingredients and techniques utilized by their competitors. What I am trying to say Kaoru is that your beliefs, while strong and true, have never been seriously tested. There is no foundation for you to stand on besides the one I have laid out for you while you preach our principles. You have never been given an opportunity to experience all flavors of self-defense and question what you have been taught. I'm afraid you cannot full heartedly teach our style without studying under the tutorage of others.

The final training for any master of the Kamiya-Kasshin style is to leave the dojo and travel for a year's time. You must go and train under different kendo masters, listen to others' beliefs, question your own, protect the weak, and make some incredible friendships along the way. If your beliefs hold true, you will return to the dojo as master and add a new kendo move under our style - a technique that will make our school stronger and improve its ability to protect the fragile. If your convictions have been shaken, you will be forced to reevaluate your life and what steps are necessary to move forward. That my child will be up to your choosing as I will be unable to guide you further.

Traveling and keeping the dojo running will be a near impossible task, but I have made arrangements. If you take a shovel and measure five steps past the well towards town, you will find enough money to keep the dojo running in your absence. Hopefully, you have acquired one or two faithful students who can watch the property while you are away.

While traveling, it would give my soul a great measure of peace if you would disguise yourself as male. Despite my confidence in your strength and skills I would not forgive myself if any harm came to you for simply being a female. You cannot possibly comprehend the apprehension I feel at the thought of you being out numbered and taken advantage of. Therefore, to avoid this type of situation, I think it would be best if you disguised yourself.

I wish you the best of luck my child. This will not be an easy endeavor. It will test both your physical and mental limitations. At the end of a year's time you will have changed and I know without a doubt it will be for the better. Just do me a favor and promise your Otou-san you will not lose all of that precious innocence you have or your kind hearted nature. The world is cruel out there, but good people, such as yourself, are what keep the shadows at bay. Keep in mind Kaoru if you find the world cold outside all you have to do my little firecracker is show it the warmth of your smile.

Lastly Kaoru, know that I could not have asked Kami-sama to bless me with a more perfect child. I am honored to have raised you. Know that your Okaasan and I will be watching you from above and safeguarding your return home. Also - don't forget to have fun! While this is part of your training, do not push yourself too hard. Take the time to view our country, relax from time to time, and make some remarkable friendship. While this trip will test you, it will also give you the experience of a lifetime. It is after all, how I came to meet your mother.

Love always and forever,

Your Father

Kamiya Koshijiro

Blinking in incomprehension, Kaoru stared at the letter as shock, disbelief, anger, and uncertainty filtered through her. There was too much information firing through the synapsis of her brain to even try and unravel it all. Her father, the man she had grown up adoring and looking up to as her idol, had left her a secret agenda behind without giving her any hints or clues while he was alive. Up until this point she had been under the impression she had completed all necessary training to be the Adjacent Master of the Kamiya-Kasshin that she was.

What was she going to do? Not only was leaving Yahiko to deal with the dojo a frightening scenario at best… how could she even consider leaving her adopted family behind. So much, _too_ much, could happen over the course of a year. It was the equivalent of being asked to start an entire new life.

_Kenshin_. That single name left her stomach twisting into knots that left her feeling sick. Could she leave him behind for a year? Kaoru wasn't even sure if she would be able to make it alone without him. Flashing memories of when Kenshin had left her had flickering pictures of the emotionless puppet she had become filtering through her mind. The sudden realization hit Kaoru hard. It wasn't that she feared how Kenshin would react with her absence. It was herself that was the issue. Deep down she began to comprehend that with her absence, maybe Kenshin would leave and return to wondering. Or perhaps he would find someone else in her absence. Shaking her head in disbelief, she tried to push off the growing feeling of disgust. It was disappointing to realize she had turned into the love-sick female she had sworn she'd never become as an adolescent.

But that was neither here not there. The main issue was this secret task. How could her father not tell her such an important piece of information sooner? In retrospect, Kaoru would have handled her Otousan's passing much easier had she been told of this training. It would have been better to travel after losing her father. It would have enabled her to grow as a person and allow her to create a new self-image, while reflecting on the past with her dad. It would have permitted her to undergo this training without having created such a strong network of friends after his death. It would…. It would just…. It would have just been easier overall damnit!

Feeling the trepidation of her task beginning to close in on her, Kaoru quickly stood. She needed to do something. Anything to calm herself down. Before she realized it, she was in the dojo with a bokken in hand going through the necessary warm-up steps. She let everything flow from her at once. Her energy. Her churning emotions. The adrenaline that had been constantly rising in her since the evening with Kenshin. It all came out with each step and swing of the bokken.

Kaoru continued the progression of work before she began to integrate more advanced moves. Sweat began to gather as a sheen on the surface of her skin, while her breathing became more rapid. But it still wasn't enough. Her emotions were too strong to handle. Pushing herself further, Kaoru incorporated moves she had only seen accomplished previously, but had never before tried. Going off of memory, Kaoru used the Ryūkansen on her invisible opponent. She quickly drove past her opponent's thrust with a sidestep, while beginning to spin in a full circle adding momentum and strength to her strike as she finally brought her bokken in a wide arch to the back her opponent's neck.

Taking three quick leaps to the left, Kaoru faced off with her rival again. This time, crouching into a partial squat, she placed her right leg in front of her left. Bringing her bokken overhead she relaxed into the Gatotsu stance. Coiling the remainder of her energy Kaoru released it with a quick snap. She landed roughly on her feet before collapsing to her knees and hands. Breathing unevenly, Kaoru glared at her shaking arms. It wasn't enough. It still wasn't enough. She haggardly brought one foot to the ground and used her hand on her knee to stand back up. Turning to face her imaginary opponent again, she stared in shock as it took the form of her father.

The translucent form of her father gave a gentle smile at Kaoru that twinkled in his eyes. He slowly brought his bokken up into the neutral Chudan stance before nodding encouragingly towards Kaoru as he had years before, but what only felt like yesterday to Kaoru.

Wetness. Kaoru stared in confusion at the water drops that had saturated her sleeping yukata under her chin. Wiping her cheeks roughly, Kaoru felt more liquid. Tears. They were tears. Staring dumbfounded between her wet hands and her father Kaoru couldn't seem to grasp anything anymore. The walk with Kenshin, her father's letter, the workout to slog through her emotions. Nothing seemed to hold still in Kaoru's mind long enough for her to analyze it. And now to top everything off, her own father was back from the dead and standing right in front of her as though he had never left.

Her father's smile dampened a notch at the distress that was present on his musume's face, but held his stance nonetheless and gave another encouraging nod.

"Otou-san…" Kaoru's voice cracked, "Why? Why did you not tell me about this sooner?"

She hesitantly took a step forward.

"Why would you withhold such important information from me?"

She took another step forward, but this time her actions were mirrored. Her father took a step in the opposite direction of her to keep the space between them the same. His kendo stance never wavering.

Burrowing her eyebrows in confusion Kaoru stepped towards her father yet again. "Will you not speak to me?"

Again, he stepped away from her…

Feeling her cheeks heat up in aggravation Kaoru asked while taking another step forward, "Will you not offer me any further help? Or aid me in understanding why you kept it a secret?"

His only response was to step away.

Growling in frustration, Kaoru brought her bokken to her side as she sprinted towards him. If he refused to speak she would simply beat the answers out of him.

Kaoru swung her bokken with the force of her strength and the speed of sprinting behind it into a diagonal strike aimed to hit his shoulder. To her amazement, her attack was dodged by a simple tuck and roll. He didn't even attempt to use his bokken despite having been the first to challenge. Kaoru faced off with her father again only to see him wearing that ridiculous 'try again' smile. Apparently he was under the misconception they were having a friendly dual. Unfortunately for him, he was terribly mistaken.

Righting herself in front on him again, Kaoru considered how their duels had transpired in the past. Her father was always multiple steps ahead of her, as he was the creator of every move she had been taught. No matter how she organized each strike or randomly chose different moves he was able to predict it before it seemed she had even decided. For her to have any chance at landing a hit she'd have to think outside the box. She'd have to go on the fly and incorporate every move witnessed over the years. Gripping her hilt in realization, Kaoru smiled at the irony of the situation. In order to beat her teacher, she would have to learn from her student. She would have to be Yahiko.

Grimacing at the thought of being the wild card she was constantly berating Yahiko for being, Kaoru straighten from her stance. Glancing at her father, she walked with what she hoped appeared to be a sloppy walk. She added a grin to encourage the charade she wished to pay off. Rounding her father, she swung her bokken lazily around in a clock-wise motion so that it appeared she was holding it loosely in her hand, though she was not.

Without so much as an increase in her breath intake or the slightest change in her posture, Kaoru leaped at her father. Instead of risking the miss of a large hit she went after him with small, but fast hits. Just as she had hoped he was force to meet her strikes. Strike for strike they continued their parry until Kaoru began to feel herself drift off into the spur of battle. The weight of the day, the stress of the letter, and everyday strain that taxed her began to roll off in waves as she continued to spar with her mentor. Slowly, ever so slowly, she was reverting back to her younger state of mind. Back to when she was the student and could simply slip into the mindset of fighting with a better opponent but knowing she was safe. To not worrying about making a mistake in front of someone for fear of being called out by a pupil, but simply to worry about being caught in the wrong because it meant she was weak. It was just her father and her moving as one, meeting each other's drives, and bonding silently as they had done many years ago.

Despite this breath of fresh air she was able to breath, Kaoru soon realized she was slowing running out of steam. She wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer and her father appeared to not have broken a sweat. Despite the pang of irritation she felt at the lack of exertion he was showing, Kaoru was happy to be experiencing this long ago normality again. Watching his every move with eagle eyes, Kaoru willed him to make a mistake. She feared that backing away from the constant assaults and going to an all out strike would result in her failure again. But wishing and waiting for her father to blunder was the same as watching a flower grow. His mistakes, if he were making any, were so insignificant they were undetectable in passing.

Chewing her lip unconsciously, Kaoru debated on the only option she could think would surprise him. It was a lowball move, but she was willing to take it if it meant her success. As far as Yahiko was considered, there was no shameful move if it meant your success. And if she was going to fully embrace Yahiko's method of fighting she might as well go big.

Keeping up with her father's movements, Kaoru waited patiently for her opening. There was only going to be one shot. One chance for surprise. There! It was coming! Her father came at her with a Hawatari, which they both knew she'd recognize. Bringing her bokken above to pare his strike, she quickly turned three hundred and sixty degrees before putting the full force of her turn into her right heel aimed for her father's chin. Before her father could so much as blink, Kaoru's foot made contact and sent him dropping to the ground. Quickly sending a pray of thanks, Kaoru made a mental note to thank Yahiko's way of thinking and Sano's street fighting for the impromptu.

Peering down at her father, Kaoru took note of the passing confusion that swept his face followed by a half pained half dazed expression. Evidently she had miscalculated the effectiveness of a swift kick to the jaw. Smiling with guilt, Kaoru offered her father a hand up. As he was assisted to his feet, Kaoru steadied him.

Shaking his head in attempt to clear the lightheadedness, his eyes became sharp again. He looked directly into Kaoru's eyes with love and pride. Before Kaoru could open her mouth to repeat the previously stated questions, she was brought into a warm embracement.

Frozen. Afraid to blink. Terrified to breath. Kaoru melted into the hug of her father. She drank it all in. The love. The strength. The pride. It was the same as when she was a little girl. But unlike then, she didn't want this to end. She wanted her father by her side for life. She wanted this pillar of support to lean on for eternity. She wanted… she wanted it all.

However, he was pulling back as soon as it began. Steeling herself for the cold air, Kaoru observed her father step back and bowed. Cheeks heating, Kaoru mimicked the motion, while cursing her embarrassment. She had forgotten to show proper respect after the completion of a duel. Straightening herself, Kaoru watched in awe as her father's shaped shimmered and shifted into the shape of a glowing orb. Witnessing its movement, she gasped as it took off behind her. She scurried after it to the end of the dojo. The globe took a sharp left and hovered in front of her father's shrine. It burned so brightly that all shadows were forced to shrink in size and had Kaoru shielding her eyes. Nearly as quick as lightening, the orb's bright energy faded and slowly minimized in shape before completely vanishing into the center of her father's armor.

Widening her eyes in comprehension, Kaoru kneeled down and began to pray.

GLOSSARY:

Bokken = Wooden sword

Hawatari = Kamiya Kasshin-ryū Style 'Sword Crossing'

Musume = Daughter

Okaasan = Mother

Otou-san = Father

Kami-san = God

Yukata = Sleeping robe

_Author's Notes:_ Wow. I totally had quite a bit of this written back when fairs were still around in my area. That was WEEKS ago. I'm lame. I suck. I'm sorry. Annnd to make matters worse this is a short chapter. Gomen-nasi. I just didn't have it in me to wait any longer to post this. Plus I need some creativity for the next chapter, which could take some time as I've been pondering it for a while.

For those of you who are interested, the story's title means "letter". Or at least that's what google told me. As I hope it was apparent, this letter will be the driving point for the plot. It's actually the first thing I had written for this story (but it has been rewritten over and over and over again hence the delay in posting). I'd like to apologize for the sushi metaphor. I was hungry when writing it and thought it described Kaoru's lack of exposure to other training styles… in a bizarre fashion.


	4. Chapter 3: Fear

I know, I know… it's been far too long. I apologize!

Quite a few things have come up. New job, holidays, and more talented authors updating – thus stories needing read (though that is not technically a valid excuse). Just a heads up, I have a wedding coming up this summer and if this new job becomes a for sure thing until the end of the school year I'll be quite busy. In addition, high school track is around the corner and I plan on volunteering with my former coach again. Sooo... updates will be spaced apart. Please bare with me.

This chapter and the next few chapters will be flashbacks of Kaoru's memories and the lessons her father taught her.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, this has not been beta-read, and credit for The Fable of Fear goes to Barrie Davenport.

~ Enjoy &amp; Review ~

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"Otou-san! Otoouuu-saannn! "

A panicked five-year-old Kaoru raced across the yard in a panicked sprint. Her scared cries pierced the silence of the empty dojo in resonating waves. She rounded the corner of the front gate as swiftly as her short legs would allow. Her tear shrieked face was barely able to decipher the ground apart from the sky, let alone notice the lowering of ground level in front of her.

Gasping in surprise when her foot took a second longer to reach the ground then what had been expected, Kaoru's leg buckled and collapsed underneath her, causing her to land roughly in the dirt. Her panicked little mind took notice of her now scrapped and bloody knee. But worse yet was the slit in her kimono - the last one her mother had made for her before she had passed away. What little composure and control Kaoru had been struggling to grasp vanished as she crumpled around the treasured memento she had ruined.

Covering the space between his location and the source of piercing screams, Kaoru's father hurried to get his child. By the time he had reached her, he discovered his daughter in a mess of sobs and hysterical breathing. Unknown to the cause of her distress, all he could offer was the condolence of his arms and mutterings of reassurance to calm her down.

Slowly time passed and Kaoru's hysterics simmered down to the gurgles of irregular breathing and hiccups with the accompaniment of soft whimpering and unintelligible words. Slowly rocking Kaoru's small form protectively in his frame, Koshijiro took note of her scraped hands and torn kimono. Rising to his feet, Kashijiro was careful not to jostle the precious cargo in his arms as he made their way inside. Stepping into the kitchen, he placed Kaoru on the counter and grabbed a wet cloth to begin the cleaning of his daughter's scraps. Silently and meticulously, he removed every fleck of dirt he came across. Kaoru slowly regained composure as she focused on her father's ministrations, while riding the final waves of her emotional ride. Unsure of how to begin, Kaoru turned her gaze away from her father and caught a glimpse of her ruin kimono where it had torn apart at her knees. Squeezing her eyes shut in regret, Kaoru willed her kimono to mend itself and repair the damage she had caused. Tears started to slip out despite sealing her eyes shut.

"Otou-san..." Kaoru paused to sniffle, "… Gomen-san. I dressed myself in mother's kimono before going out to pick flowers for her. You would have liked the flowers Otou-san. They were very pretty. I was almost done picking them when I saw a giant hornet flying strait at me! I was so scared Otou-san. I dropped the flowers and came running home. But it got me. I could feel the pain. It got me in my toe." Kaoru's eyes shut as she remembered the fear of being stung all over again. Looking up into her father's eyes Kaoru tried to keep her lip from quivering and voice strong as he had taught her before asking in a solemn voice, "I am going to die now Otou-san, aren't I? Just like Asami-san did?"

Taking note of the seriousness of the situation, Koshijiro looked directly into his daughter's eyes and framed her small shoulders with his hands and replied, "No my dear Kaoru-chan, you are not going to die. I would never allow for that to happen. Ever. Do you understand me little one?"

Nodding her head mutely, Kaoru slumped forward in relief and wrapped her tiny arms around her father's large neck. "Arigotou Otou-san. Arigotou. I don't want to die. I promise I'll never go into the woods again. And… and I'll stay away from danger always. I don't want to die Otou-san. I… I don't want to leave you alone… like mom did."

Picking her up once again, Koshijiro walked them outside to the porch where they could sit in the warmth of the sun. Setting her down next to him, Koshijiro contemplated how to overcome this obstacle.

"Have I ever told you about the women who let fear rule her?" he asked his daughter softly. Upon seeing her confused look and the negative turn of her head he continued, "Once upon a time, there was a young woman who carried Fear as her constant companion. It wasn't fear of wild animals, impending danger, or the shadows that lurk in the night. In fact, her friend Fear had become disassociated with any real thing. It had become an entity all on its own that could morph and wind its way into any circumstance the woman happened to be in.

The woman wasn't born this way. When she was small, Fear had served her well and taught her how to stay out of harm's way. But as the girl grew and experienced the world around her, which could sometimes be harsh and painful, Fear found a foothold for power. Fear taught the girl that Harsh and Painful were always just around the corner, even when they weren't, and showed her how to avoid life so that she wouldn't meet them. When she did meet Harsh and Painful, Fear simply said, "I told you so. You better stick with me."

Sometimes her erstwhile friend Fear thought it was fun to poke around in the young woman's mind, searching for weak spots so that it could manufacture something that felt as real as an oncoming train or a lurking monster. Fear was sneaky like that. It liked to torment and create havoc in the woman's heart and mind. It whispered stories in her ear that weren't true or only had a grain of truth. Fear liked to embellish. Fear liked to stir the pot.

The woman knew that she'd allowed Fear to become her master. But she kept feeding it by worrying, over-thinking, pontificating, ruminating, and believing without question. As Fear munched away growing fatter and stronger, the young woman began to shrink. She shrunk so small that she could fit into the safe box that Fear hadn't infiltrated—little did she know Fear had built the box just for her.

She felt comfortable in the box; and Fear liked her there because it kept him in control. Fortunately, the box had windows. And after a while, the woman started looking outside. She saw other people in boxes just like hers. Just like her, they were safe and quietly contained with Fear guarding the door.

But she saw something else, something that stirred her heart and soul. She saw people who weren't in boxes. These people had room to run, move freely, and do anything they wished. They were doing exciting, creative, adventurous things, many of the same things that Fear had warned her about. But they were happy. They weren't hiding. In fact, she could see Fear chasing them, but these people laughed at Fear. And when Fear did catch them, they would firmly cast Fear aside and put Fear in a box!

How amazing!

How liberating!

The woman cracked the door of the box, and yelled over Fear's head to the people outside, "How did you conquer Fear like that? How did you put Fear in a box?"

"Truth," they shouted back. "We battled Fear with Truth and Inquiry, and Fear lost all of its powers!"

"How do I find Truth and Inquiry?" asked the woman.

"It's that light inside of you," they said. "And all you have to do is shine it in Fear's face."

Tentatively, the woman picked one of Fear's favorite weak spots, and she look inside herself for Truth and Inquiry. She found a faint, flickering light and held it up to Fear.

Immediately, Fear grew weaker. And as Fear grew weaker, the woman started to grow. Truth and Inquiry got brighter too. With practice, the woman was able to shine the light on all of the weak spots that Fear had created. Eventually, the woman grew too big, too strong, too powerful for the box.

As soon as she burst out of the box, she saw Fear cowering outside.

Her heart went out to Fear, because she remembered how it felt to cower. She gently placed Fear in the box, because she knew she might need Fear on occasion. But now she saw Fear for what it was—her servant, not her master.

And Truth had set her free."

Turning his head down to his left, Koshijiro inventoried his daughter. Her eyebrows were scrunch together, while her chin rested between the crock of her thumb and pointer finger. She was deep in thought, trying to unravel the lesson to the story. Glancing back towards the yard, Koshijiro gave his daughter the time needed to sort through it all. Koshijiro relaxed himself into a meditative state while time passed.

"Otou-san … are you saying that I shouldn't fear death?"

Cracking his eye open, Koshijiro looked into his daughter's confused and weary blue eyes. "Not necessarily my firecracker, though I suppose that's a fair assumption."

"Then what is it?"

"What's what my dear?"

"The point of your story."

"The point of the story you ask? I suppose that resolves around the main character. How did the young woman change? Was it a good change or bad?"

Crossing her arms across her chest, Kaoru chewed in the bottom of her lip. An endearing action that her mother would do when deep in thought.

"She overcame Fear…" Kaoru paused to look at her father's response. Upon seeing his head nod encouragingly she continued, "…to live a more exciting life? Which is… good?" she finished inquisitively, not quite certain if what she said was correct.

Smiling, her father patted her on the head. "More exciting? Perhaps. Depending on whom you ask. I believe she lived a more fulfilling life and that's why she broke out of her box. Would you be happy living in a box Kaoru?"

Nodding her head is disapproval, Koshijiro chuckled. "No. I imagine you would not. So… do really wish never to visit the woods again. To never pick beautiful flowers for your mother or practice being quiet as you watch animals?"

Again Kaoru shook her head no before slowly stopping to look at her father with scared eyes. "I would like to go in the woods again Otou-san … but I don't want to die."

Giving his daughter an understanding look, Koshijiro gave into the crumbling wall he had constructed while trying to teach his young one a lesson and scooped her up into his protective arms and placed her in his lap. He could only fight the desire to not baby his daughter for so long before he cracked. Sighing, Kaoru rested her head on her father's chest.

"Of course not my dear. No one ever wants or wishes to die. And I would never want you to put yourself in danger of dying. Ever. Do I make myself clear?" Feeling the affirmative nod of his worn-out daughters head Koshijiro relaxed against the post and took note of the setting sun.

"Kaoru-chan, do you remember why the woman in the story trusted fear and let it place her in a box?"

"…because it kept her safe from pain."

"Correct. Fear is a good friend to have because it tells you when something is wrong or when you need to pay more attention to what you are doing. It keeps you safe. But what happens if you let fear get out of hand? What happens if you let fear rule your life"

"It… it tricks you."

"How does it trick you?"

"It makes you a scaredy cat?"

Chuckling in response to his 5-year-olds response, he replied, "Preciously. If you give fear too much power it will turn on you. Make you fear everything without reason. To live in fear is to live a very unfulfilling life. Do you remember where Asami-san was when she was stung by the giant hornets?"

"The woods Otou-san … with her family."

"I suppose that's true. Her family traveled to visit family. Instead of taking the well-traveled path, they took a short cut, as the weather had been good that year. Unfortunately, they didn't take into account the wildlife of the more exotic parts of the forest. Asami-san had wondered off while her family was preparing to set camp and that's when she was stung by the bees my dear. And it wasn't one or two giant hornets. She had accidently startled a nest of them."

Taking a break to see how his daughter was fairing with the information he noted no tears or sign of returning to her earlier agitated state. Continuing he stated, "Those hornets that stung her are only found in the deep forests Kaoru. There are none around where we live."

"Then what did I see Otto-san?"

"I'm sure it was a regular bee Kaoru-chan, nothing to be afraid of. However, if it was a giant hornet, be happy you only saw one."

"Hai, Otto-san."

"Now that that's been taken care of, how does your toe feel?"

"It still hurts a little…"

Lifting her toe to eye-level, Koshijiro inspected her socked toe where Kaoru could see it. Widening her eyes in surprise and embarrassment, Kaoru took note of the large thorn protruding from her sock.

"Yes, I would imagine it would." Raising to his feet, Kaoshijiro slowly placed his daughter on the ground before turning back inside the dojo. "I'm going to prepare dinner. Why don't you clean yourself up before hand."

Starting dumbly at her foot, Kaoru mutely nodded as her father walked away.

"I will talked to Noki-san in the morning and have her mend your kimono for you."

Again, Kaoru nodded quietly.

Minutes passed before Kaoru slowly bent down and morphed her dumbfounded stare into a frown. Yanking the thorn from her big toe, Kaoru refused to close her eyes at the pain she felt. Bringing the thorn closer for inspection, Kaoru glared at the spiny piece of ligneous material before dismissing it. Flicking the thorn into the dirt and turning to the house, Kaoru pledged Fear would never master her again. Never would she run around as if she were some unpredictable scaredy cat that Fear wanted her to be. Never would Fear ruin something as important as the kimono her mother had created for her.

_Never…_

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Reviews are appreciated!

Fun Fact of the Day: The Asian giant hornet is responsible for 30-40 lives lost per year. It's a serious health concern, especially if you've been stung by 10 or more bees.


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